GMB Scotland has said an overwhelming majority of its members have voted for strike action at a gas construction site in Shetland.

The long-running dispute is said to be over accommodation and travelling time.

GMB has now said unions will seek "urgent talks" with the main contractor in order to resolve the issue.

The official ballot covered GMB members employed by Balfour Beatty Engineering Services Limited (BBESL). The dispute concerns a claim for an additional £50 per day to compensate for the failure to provide suitable accommodation for members and an additional claim for payment for lengthy travelling time undertaken each day. It is understood other workers employed by other contractors on site are also involved in the same dispute and they will also be balloted for strike action.


These members are employed to construct a new facility to process the gas and liquid hydrocarbon reserves on a site located to the east of the Sullom Voe oil terminal on Shetland. Work started in early 2010 and will see the plant connected to the Laggan-Tormore offshore subsea production system. The gas plant is planned to be on stream by mid-2014 and will be operated by Total.

The engineering, procurement, supply, construction and commissioning contract for the plant itself was awarded to Petrofac Offshore Engineering & Operations unit in October 2010. Balfour Beatty Engineering Services Limited (BBESL) are one the engineering construction subcontractors.

Harry Donaldson, Secretary GMB Scotland, said: "GMB will seek urgent talks with the main contractor to convey to them the ballot results and impress on management to need to seriously address the long running issues involved in this dispute.

"The employers need to sit up and take notice of this overwhelming vote and put forward an offer to resolve this long running dispute.

"Petrofac have buried their heads in the sand for too long on important issues on this project. They have tried to bully and ride roughshod over standard industrial relations practices throughout. Even now before this escalates further, TOTAL the client, must stop Petrofac digging themselves into an even deeper hole than the intransigent one they are already in."

(JP)